Isn't this David Farragut?

[rosefiend]

I was just tooling around on the Library of Congress and ran across this "unidentified" photograph of what, even in my relatively inexperienced eyes, was obviously a high-ranking Navy man -- and then I was like, "Wait, ain't that Farragut?"

That's not the full image, btw, because you can't see his coat skirts or whatever you call 'em.

Here's all the info on the pic. I am sure somebody has had to hollered at the LoC and said, "Hey, you have a rear admiral there!" by now. Or you would think they have. https://www.loc.gov/item/cwp2003002307/PP/

 

[AndyHall]

No, I don't believe it is. Farragut would've loved to have a full head of hair like that. The rank insignia appears to be Captain from the regulations in force from the beginning of the war to August 1862 -- the buttons between the cuff rings is notable.

Farragut was a Captain at the beginning of the war, as well, and probably close in age to this man. The Navy was a small and somewhat insular place then, and I'm sure these two men knew each other, and may well have served together.

 

[Michael W.]

No, WAY TOO MUCH HAIR!!

 

[1stMS-Arty]

I think it's Hal Holbrook....

 

[Michael W.]

I think it's Hal Holbrook....
View attachment 92756

YES IT IS!!

 

[brass napoleon]

I agree with others above. Hal Holbrook, maybe. David Farragut, no.

 

[Aussie Billy Sherman]

Holy jeepers batman! it's Deepthroat! He's a time traveller!

 

[Mark F. Jenkins]

No, not Farragut. Too much hair (Farragut was balding) and also too broad-shouldered (Farragut was rather wiry in build).

The cuff lace is wide, indicating a prewar or early-war date (for the uniform, anyway), because it appears to conform to the uniform regs of 1852, superseded in 1863, although 1852 uniforms were worn past that date from photographic evidence. The cuff stripes indicate a Captain, which was the most senior rank in the Navy until the 1862 reorganization.

Not familiar with this particular officer, but as the number of captains was limited, he's possibly identifiable...

ETA: My first thought was Paulding, but it's not. A quick look at some of my sources didn't turn up anything, so I think I'll need to compile a list of captains and narrow it down from there.

 

[Mark F. Jenkins]

Well, it is not any of these men:

Charles Stewart
William B. Shubrick
Joseph Smith
George W. Storer
Francis H. Gregory
Elle A. F. Lavallette
Silas H. Stringham
William Mervine
Samuel L. Breese
Hiram Paulding
Josiah Tattnall
Cornelius K. Stribling
Charles H. Bell
David G. Farragut
Frederick Engle
Franklin Buchanan
Louis M. Goldsborough
George N. Hollins
John Marston
Samuel F. Du Pont
Levin M. Powell
Charles Wilkes
Thomas O. Selfridge
G. J. Van Brunt
Andrew A. Harwood
Theodorus Bailey
Cadwallader Ringgold
Henry W. Morris
French Forrest
Samuel Barron
John B. Montgomery

I'm wondering about Captain Hugh Y. Purviance, but have not established it.

Still have a list of people to rule out.

 

[Mark F. Jenkins]

It is also not:

Lawrence Kearny
John H. Aulick
James Armstrong
Uriah P. Levy
Garrett J. Pendergrast
Joseph B. Hull
William H. Gardner
John Rudd
Duncan N. Ingraham
Henry A. Adams
William L. Hudson
George A. Magruder
William F. Lynch

That still leaves 33 men on the Captains' list in 1860... assuming the man is indeed one of those (which is a reasonable assumption but not absolutely proven).

 

[Mike Serpa]

I'm never good at matching photos but I'll try with Captain John Rodgers.

LOC #05923

 

[FarawayFriend]

Not bad, but the earlobes don't match ...
I'll throw in William Simmons, but take it with a grain of salt, I'm absolutely no expert on uniforms ...

https://piqueoftheweek.wordpress.co...gstons-civil-war-soldiers-sailors-and-nurses/

 

[rosefiend]

In this case, I am very glad to have been wrong! This is a lot of fun.

 

[civilken]

I don't believe that is good old Dan the torpedoes and get me out of here.

 

[rosefiend]

Here's the full pic, for those of you playing at home. I hope I made it big enough.

 

[rosefiend]

I remembered this gentleman when I was messing around with pictures for absolutely no reason. I'm amazed that this gentleman hasn't been ID'd yet (though @Mark F. Jenkins certainly has been scrolling through his list o' Navy folks).

@Mike Serpa, d'you think you could do a side-by-side of John Rodgers and the above gentleman? It's easier to match up facial features if they're side by side.

 

[Mike Serpa]

I was going to say Montgomery but Mark says 'no.'

!Commodore John B. Montgomery, U.S.N. LOC #03217

I remembered this gentleman when I was messing around with pictures for absolutely no reason. I'm amazed that this gentleman hasn't been ID'd yet (though @Mark F. Jenkins certainly has been scrolling through his list o' Navy folks).

@Mike Serpa, d'you think you could do a side-by-side of John Rodgers and the above gentleman? It's easier to match up facial features if they're side by side.

I agree with @FarawayFriend. The earlobes don't match.

 

[rosefiend]

Captain John Rodgers has three stripes on his sleeve like our Mystery Man. Now how many of these three-stripe men did we have running around in our Navy?

 

[O' Be Joyful]

Captain John Rodgers has three stripes on his sleeve like our Mystery Man. Now how many of these three-stripe men did we have running around in our Navy?

Boatloads I'm sure.

 

[rosefiend]

Boatloads I'm sure.

Boo! A punster!